Brazilian Filmmaker Eduardo Coutinho Dies at 80

The renowned documentary filmmaker was knifed at his home in Rio de Janeiro; police holds his son as a main suspect.

BUENOS AIRES – Legendary Brazilian documentary filmmaker Eduardo Coutinho has been murdered in Rio de Janeiro. Local network Globo News reported the filmmaker's son Daniel Coutinho -- who suffers from schizophrenia, local police reports indicate -- is a prime suspect for the murder and is currently in custody.

According to Folha de Sao Paulo, the son also injured his father’s wife Maria Oliveira Coutinho while attempting to kill her, and later tried to commit suicide. Both have been admitted to the Miguel Couto City Hospital in Gavea. Coutinho’s wife condition remains serious, according to Terra Brasil.

The 81 year-old director of Edificio Master and Songs was considered to be one of the finest documentary filmmakers in Brazil, and was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last June.